Squirrel Systems

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{{cleanup|reason=almost all refs are press releases and links are almost all dead.|date=July 2016}}

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{{Infobox company

| name = Squirrel Systems Ltd.

| type = Private

| logo =

| foundation = 1984

| location = Burnaby, British Columbia

| products = Squirrel Professional, Squirrel in a Box, Squirrel in a Box for Hotels

| industry = Hospitality Systems, Computer hardware

| homepage = {{URL|http://www.squirrelsystems.com}}

}}

Squirrel Systems is a Burnaby-based point of sale vendor specializing in hospitality management systems. Squirrel is based in Burnaby, Canada.{{cite press release

|title = Squirrel Systems Accommodates Expansion with New Head Office Location

|publisher = Squirrel Systems

|date = 2005-11-22

|url = http://squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/20051122NewHOLocation.htm

|access-date = 2010-11-03

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101129211537/http://squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/20051122NewHOLocation.htm

|archive-date = 2010-11-29

}}

History

Squirrel Systems was founded in 1984, and released the first restaurant point of sale system to use an integrated diskless touchscreen terminal for order management.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}} Originally a wholly owned subsidiary of Sulcus Hospitality Technologies Corporation, in 1998 Sulcus merged with Eltrax Systems, Incorporated (Nasdaq SmallCap: ELTX).{{cite press release

|title = Sulcus announces planned merger with Eltrax Systems, Inc.

|publisher = Eltrax Systems

|date = 1998-11-12

|url = http://www.squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/19981112SulcusEltraxMerger.htm

|access-date = 2010-11-03

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101129204144/http://squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/19981112SulcusEltraxMerger.htm

|archive-date = 2010-11-29

}} Squirrel is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Marin Investments Ltd.{{cite press release

|title = Squirrel Systems Appoints New President

|publisher = Squirrel Systems & Marin Investments Limited

|date = May 2008

|url = http://www.squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/2008-01-07PRSquirrelPresident.htm

|access-date = 2010-11-03

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101129200811/http://squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/2008-01-07PRSquirrelPresident.htm

|archive-date = 2010-11-29

}}

Squirrel Workstation

One of the unique characteristics of Squirrel's original product was the use of hardened LCD touchscreen terminals. Unlike other systems that used keyboards and CRT monitors, Squirrel terminals had no moving parts and were easily adapted to any operating environment. The original Squirrel terminals reached over 35,000 installed units worldwide, and was the first to integrate an LCD panel, credit card reader, employee ID reader, and CPU inside a single unit.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}} Later units would incorporate IP connectivity, remote booting of a customized Linux operating system, and a Java virtual machine.{{cite press release

|title=Squirrel Announces New Network-Ready Touch Terminal

|publisher=Squirrel Systems

|date=1999-06-21

|url=http://squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/19990621NetworkReadyTerminal.htm

|access-date=2010-11-03

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129205121/http://squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/19990621NetworkReadyTerminal.htm

|archive-date=2010-11-29

}}{{better source needed|date=July 2016}}

Squirrel Embedded Linux

In 1998 Squirrel Systems released Squirrel Embedded Linux (SEL), a customized distribution of Linux for "thin client" terminal architecture.{{cite web

|url=http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/4798

|title=Squirrel POS

|publisher=Linux Journal

|date=2001-09-01

|accessdate=2009-07-17}} SEL has several characteristics that were unique at the time of development, including primary support for diskless workstations, customized high-volume touchscreen drivers, integrated Java virtual machine with hardware control, and two-stage booting from a Windows server.{{cite web

|title=Embedded Linux advantages – and challenges – in a retail POS system

|url=http://linuxdevices.com/articles/AT2874315267.html

|access-date=2007-03-30

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127205834/http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/Linux-For-Devices-Articles/Embedded-Linux-advantages-and-challenges-in-a-retail-POS-system/

|archive-date=2013-01-27

|url-status=live

}}

{{cite press release

|title=Eltrax Announces Release Of Linux Version Of Restaurant Application Solution.

|publisher=Eltrax Systems

|date=1999-12-20

|url=http://www.squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/19991220PREltraxAnnouncementLinux.htm

|access-date=2010-11-03

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129205453/http://squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/19991220PREltraxAnnouncementLinux.htm

|archive-date=2010-11-29

}}

Industry awards

In 2010, O'Charley's named Squirrel as its Enterprise Support Partner of the Year at the annual Inukshuk Business Partner Awards.{{cite web

|title=O'Charley's honors partners

|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_9_44/ai_n53519444/

| publisher = Nation's Restaurant News

|accessdate=2010-11-03}}{{failed verification|date=July 2016}}

Squirrel Systems was awarded the 2009 Epson Envision Award for Innovation for its Squirrel in a Box product.{{cite news |last1=Micael |first1=Miclan |title=POS System |url=https://posapt.au/}}{{cite press release

|title=Squirrel in a Box Solution Receives Top Honors at Epson Annual Partner Conference

|publisher=Squirrel Systems & Epson

|date=March 2009

|url=http://www.squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/PREpsonInnovationAward33109.htm

|access-date=2010-11-03

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129200834/http://squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/PREpsonInnovationAward33109.htm

|archive-date=2010-11-29

}}

Squirrel Systems was awarded the 1999 Independent Cash Register Dealers Association Silver Award for Outstanding Sponsor in Systems/Software.{{cite press release

|title=Squirrel Wins Silver at I.C.R.D.A. Convention

|publisher=Squirrel Systems

|date=1999-07-29

|url=http://www.squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/19990729SquirrelWinsSilver.htm

|access-date=2010-11-03

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129211831/http://squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/19990729SquirrelWinsSilver.htm

|archive-date=2010-11-29

}}

In 1998, Squirrel was the third recipient of the Microsoft Retail Application Developer award at the HITEC Show in Los Angeles. Microsoft recognized SquirrelONE as the first application to integrate Java, Microsoft SQL Server, and Windows NT in the retail market.{{cite press release

|title=Squirrel WINS MICROSOFT 1998 R.A.D. AWARD

|publisher=Squirrel Systems & Microsoft

|date=1998-06-16

|url=http://www.squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/PRMicrosoftRADAward.htm

|access-date=2010-11-03

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129204232/http://squirrelsystems.com/about-squirrel-systems/News/PRMicrosoftRADAward.htm

|archive-date=2010-11-29

}}